Hammer for percussion instruments



Sept. 30, 1958 I W. D. GLADSTONE HAMMER FOR PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS Filed April 13, 1954 INVENTOR. W/w/w 0. 6440570:

United States Patent 2,853,912 HAMMER FOR PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS William D. Gladstone, Newark, N. J.

Application April 13, 1954,.Serial No. 422,940

Claims. (Cl. 84-422) This invention relates to hammers for percussion musical instruments, and more particularly to an improved hammer head. The hammer of the invention is useful particularly for xylophones, the vibra harp, chimes and similar instruments from which tonal effects are obtained by striking metal or wood bars, and is an improvement over the hammer described in my U. S. Patent 2,040,603.

It is known to use ball and cloth wound (crocheted) hammer heads on instruments of the foregoing type. Such prior hammers have various disadvantages among which are: the hammers are able to produce a relatively narrow range of tones, they lack flexibility and rebound, the ball kind of head often flies off the handle after continued use, and the cloth-Wound kind unravels.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hammer for percussion musical instruments which is capable of producing an extremely wide range of tones not capable of achievement by prior hammers.

Another objects to provide a hammer which has excellent flexibility and rebound characteristics, and which can produce superior tonal effects on the slightest contact with the tonal elements of a vibra harp.

Briefly stated, the hammer of the invention comprises a hollow handle which is fastened at one end to a head made up of a ball around which is stretched a gummed rubber sleeve. The ball is preferably made from a plastic material. The gummed rubber sleeve is tightly stretched over the ball and constitutes the striking surface for the percussion musical instrument. The stretching of the sleeve is an important factor in the hammer head and reduces the undesired amount of bounce which would occur if the sleeve were not stretched, and enables the sleeve to become an integral part of the hammer head which is constituted by both ball and sleeve. Different thicknesses of rubber sleeves will provide different tonal effects.

In using the hammer of the invention, hard contact of the hammer head with the percussion musical instrument enables the plastic ball to be felt through the softer rubber sleeve in order to produce a desired sharp tonal effect. Different thicknesses of rubber sleeves will give different tonal effects. The thinner the rubber sleeve, the easier will the ball inside the rubber sleeve cut through or penetrate (musically speaking) upon contact of the head with the percussion instrument so as to produce a sharp tonal effect. The rubber sleeve gives additional weight to the head at the end of the hammer and provides a degree of flexibility and rebound which is lacking in prior hammer heads. The hammer of the invention also provides a wider range of tones than known types of hammers.

A more detailed description of the invention follows, in conjunction with a drawing, wherein:

Figs. 1 and 3 are elevation views, partly perspective and partly broken away, of two different embodiments of the hammer head of the invention, and

Fig. 2 shows the hammer head of Fig. 1 with the handle removed, as seen from the bottom.

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Fig. 4 is an elevation view of another embodiment of the hammer head of the invention.

Referring to the drawing wherein like parts are represented by like reference numerals throughout the figures, the hammer of Fig. 1 includes a hollow plastic handle 10 having a plastic cap 12 at one end and a head 14 at the other end. The head 14 comprises a plastic ball 16 upon which is tightly stretched a gummed rubber sleeve 18. The head 14 is the striking end of the hammer which is adapted to engage the musical instrument. The outer surface of the rubber sleeve 18 actually constitutes the striking surface of the head which contacts the tonal elements of the percussion musical instrument. The handle 10 enters a longitudinal cylindrical hole 20 in the head of the hammer, and this hole has a diameter which provides a close fit with the outer surface of the handle. Glue is employed in the hole 20 to prevent the head 14 from flying off the handle 10 during usage of the hammer. The relatively large diameter hole 20 extends for about three-quarters of the distance through the ball 16, and then continues as a smaller diameter hole 22 for the remaining diametrical length of ball 16 so as to provide a shoulder or resting place 24 for the top end of handle 10. Gummed rubber sleeve 18 has an inside diameter which is much smaller than the diameter of ball 16 and is forcefit over the ball 16.

In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the ball 16 is provided with two spaced parallel beads 26 symmetrically arranged around the ball on opposite sides of the center, and the space on the ball between the beads is flattened to provide a groove for the sleeve 18. The gummed rubber sleeve 18 is force-fit over the ball 16 and rests mostly in the groove or space between the two beads 26. The beads provide an additional gripping surface between the ball 16 and the sleeve 18, and serve to hold the rubber sleeve firmly on the ball 16. The groove causes a lesser degree of tension on the stretched rubber sleeve, and hence a softer sound or tone when the head strikes a percussion instrument as compared to a head as shown in Fig. 1 lacking a groove.

To more firmly secure the ball 16 to the handle, in addition to the glue, there is provided an anchoring pin or nail 28 which passes through a hole in the ball 16 along a center line and pierces the handle 10, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The head of the nail 28 is countersunk in the ball 16 so as not to interfere with fitting the rubber sleeve upon the ball.

The hammer head of Fig. 4 differs from that of Fig. 3 only in two respects, first, ball 16' is somewhat squashed to provide a central groove portion which is wider than the sphere, and secondly, the spacing between the beads 26 is wider. The beads of the hammer of Fig. 4 are outside the rubber sleeve and define the width of the groove on the ball 16 into which the tightly stretched gummed rubber sleeve 18 fits.

In one embodiment of Fig. 3 actually produced and satisfactorily tested, the ball was of plastic material and 1" in diameter, the live gummed rubber sleeve 18 was W wide and A" thick before placing on the ball and /s" thick after being force-fit onto the ball. The beads 26 each protruded beyond the outer surface of the ball 16. The hollow handle had an outer diameter of 7 and a wall thickness of 1, The anchoring pin or nail 28 was about /8" in length. The hole 22 had a diameter of /s. It should be understood that the ball 16 can, if desired, be made of wood, and that the beads need not be a continuous surface but can be interrupted.

One advantage of the hammer head of the invention is that the gummed rubber sleeve is replaceable.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand-operated hammer head for use with percussion musical instruments, comprising a plastic ball provided with a central cylindrical hole for accommodating a handle, and a relatively narrow gummed rubber sleeve force-fit completely around solely a narrow strip constituting the center portion of said ball and constituting the striking surface of said hammer head.

2. In a hand-operated hammer adapted for use with percussion musical instruments, 'a head comprising a, ball provided with means for attaching same to a handle, said ballhaving a bead around the periphery thereof, and a rubber sleeve force-fit completely around said ball and in contact with said bead and constituting the striking surface of said head.

3. In a hand-operated hammer adapted for use with percussion musical instruments, a head comprising a ball provided with a hole into which a handle can be inserted, said ball having a pair of spaced parallel beads around the periphery thereof symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of a center line of said ball and in planes perpendicular to said handle, and a rubber sleeve force-fit over and surrounding said ball and resting in the space between said beads to constitute the striking surface of said head.

4. A hammer as defined in claim 3 including an anchoring pin passing through the interior of said ball and piercing said handle.

5. A hand-operated hammer adapted for use with percussion musical instruments, comprising a head in the form of a plastic ball having a hole for accommodating a handle, a hollow plastic handle inserted into said hole and cemented to said ball, a relatively narrow gummed rubber sleeve surrounding solely a narrow strip constituting the center portion of said ball and force-fit thereover to constitute a striking surface, and a groove on said ball for enabling said sleeve to rest therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,343,164 Smith June 8, 1920 2,040,603 Gladstone May 12, 1936 2,494,929 Colaluca Jan. 17, 1950 2,586,163 Heiderich et al Feb. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 107,177 Great Britain June 21, 1917 

